Dutch Empire

The Dutch Empire (het koloniale rijk van Nederland) referred to the overseas territories controlled by the Netherlands from the mid-17th century to the mid-1950s. The Dutch were among the earliest empire-builders of Europe, following Spain and Portugal. They were aided by their shipping and trade, and were able to acquire colonies through state capitalist corporate colonialism. The Dutch Empire grew to possess the East Indies, Suriname, the Gold Coast, and others. The empire lost nearly all of its remaining colonies during World War II. By 2010, only a few islands remained part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and its former empire.